Every young person who comes to Second Chances arrives carrying trust they have extended before and had broken.
That trust is not abstract. It is the most fragile thing in the room. How we handle it — every week, every conversation, every record we keep or do not keep — determines whether this organisation deserves to exist.
What we have built
Our safeguarding framework is built around three commitments.
We do not work with young people alone. No one-to-one contact without a second person present or immediately reachable. No exceptions.
We document everything, and share only what we must. Every conversation that touches on welfare, risk, or disclosure is logged. Nothing is shared beyond the programme team without consent, except where there is an immediate risk to life.
We have a named safeguarding lead and a clear reporting route. Any concern — about a young person, about our own team, about a partner — reaches the safeguarding lead within 24 hours. If the concern involves the safeguarding lead, it goes directly to the board.
What young people can expect
If you come to Second Chances, you will be told — clearly, at the start — what we keep confidential and what we cannot. You will never be surprised. If something you share requires us to act, we will tell you before we do.
You will also be given a way to raise a concern about us. That matters. Institutions fail young people when there is no route to complain about the institution itself.
Why this belongs in the open
We publish our safeguarding policy because accountability is not a formality. You can read it here. If you have a concern — about a young person in our programme, or about how we operate — there is a direct route to us on that page.
This is the promise we make. We intend to keep it.